


Tonight's The Night

by thefalloutalleyouthzone



Category: One Piece
Genre: Cooking Lessons, M/M, Romantic Meal, Shameless Smut, Sorry for the late gift, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day present
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:26:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29614953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefalloutalleyouthzone/pseuds/thefalloutalleyouthzone
Summary: Tonight's the night Roronoa Zoro cooks a meal for the first time in his life.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 1
Kudos: 79





	Tonight's The Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [misterprince](https://archiveofourown.org/users/misterprince/gifts).



Zoro rolls out of bed and checks his bedside clock for the time. It's early. Earlier than he normally likes when he has the morning shift at work, but that's okay. It's going to be worth it.

He pushes the covers off before he can be tempted to fall back asleep by the encompassing warmth and grabs his phone from its charger as he does so.

Tonight's the night. 

Tonight's the night Roronoa Zoro cooks a meal for the first time in his life.

He goes through his notifications as he walks through his small apartment, traveling towards the kitchen with coffee in mind. There are a couple of emails he swipes away, some likes on his latest workout post on Instagram, and a few messages from Luffy and Nami wishing him good luck for this evening. He appreciates the gesture and hopes they still haven’t given anything away to the cook. He didn’t want to tell any of their friends his Valentine’s Day plan at first- the fewer people know, the less chance of Sanji finding out. Luffy is especially bad (or should he say good?) when it comes to ruining surprises, but being his best friend and the younger man swearing on Shanks’ life that he wouldn't say a word, Zoro eventually caved and told him. 

The witch simply threatened Zoro she’d up his debt if he didn’t tell her what he’d been planning, so he didn’t want to push his luck any further.

It worked out in the end, with both Luffy and Nami giving him alibis and distracting the cook whenever he needed them- the latter more so on Nami. He’s not sure he would have gotten this far into the plan without them.

He continues to scroll through his notifications as he starts the coffee machine, with one text standing out like a sore thumb.

**Zeff: Don't screw this up.**

Zoro can't help but chuckle. He leans against the black-marbled counter deep in thought. Over the past few months, he’s gotten to know Zeff more than he ever imagined. so he knows that it is probably the best good luck text he will ever get out of him. The old man is never one for affection, even when it comes to Sanji. Yet something shifted when Zoro came to visit him all those months ago. They developed a mutual appreciation towards one another for being in the cook’s life. Not that Sanji is aware of any of this. He’ll probably have a fit when he finds out.

The coffee machine pings and Zoro grabs the cup from underneath it. He takes his first sip and allows the bitter taste of the caffeinated beverage to flood his system.

Zoro's phone buzzes again with a next text message. 

Speak of the devil.

**_Curlybrow: Shift’s about to start. Looking forward to tonight, marimo._ **

Zoro smirks at his phone. He had to tell the cook he has _something_ planned for the two of them, otherwise, the hopeless romantic would have beaten him to it. Yet he made sure not to give anything away, promising a romantic meal out. He knows Sanji will know he is up to something, he just hopes the man doesn't try to ruin it for himself. 

Zoro goes to type out a response, then stops himself. Sanji will be suspicious of him being awake at 6 am on a Sunday. He can't risk being found out when he has come this far. His boyfriend can wait for a little longer.

Zoro drains his cup of coffee, feeling instantly better. He doesn't want to risk running late and he really can't afford to get lost on his way to the market hall, so he jumps in the shower and hastily gets dressed before stepping out into the chilly February air.

***

_Zoro walks straight past the unsettling looks from the waiters and diners of the Baratie and doesn’t stop until he reaches the owner’s office door. He takes a deep breath and hesitantly knocks._

_“What is it now, Patty?!” Zoro opens the door and almost lets his nerves and sense of judgment get the better of him, but enters nonetheless. Sanji’s adopted father doesn’t look up until Zoro is casting a shadow over his paperwork._

_If Zeff is surprised to see Zoro standing in front of him instead, he doesn’t show it._

_“I need your help,” Zoro exhales in a begrudging tone, “please.”_

_A small smirk makes its way onto Zeff’s stoic face, “Heh. I knew this day would come. What can I do for you, brat?”_

*** 

Zoro manages to get to the market hall without getting lost along the way, but that doesn’t stop him from getting lost within the market hall itself. 

Fuck.

He’s found most of the ingredients he needs and is now trying to find his way to the butcher section for what will be the main event of the evening. His intense cooking sessions with Zeff have solidified the basics of recognizing a good product into his brain, as well as what to avoid, that he feels pretty proud of himself for being able to tick off most of his shopping list, even if it has taken triple the amount of time it would take anyone else. It’s going to cost him a fortune, but it’s easy enough to remind himself why he is doing this.

The cook has no idea what's coming.

He considers if bringing Luffy along would have sped the process up with finding the meat section then immediately chases that thought away. Cooking a meal for his professional chef of a boyfriend is already stressful enough, babysitting duties would push him over the edge. 

Zoro finally catches a glimpse of the red cuts of meat hanging on display and makes a b-line towards it. He knows what to look out for and immediately gravitates to the A5 Wagyu Beef. 

His face grimaces when he sees the price. 

Being Japanese, he already had an understanding of how expensive a cut of A5 Wagyu Beef is, yet it still doesn't make him feel better knowing he is the one buying it. 

_What the hell have I signed up for?_

Zoro shakes his head. He knows why he is doing this. He knows the dramatic slash to his bank account is going to be worth it. 

He catches the eye of the man behind the counter and does his best impression of Sanji asking for a cut of the meat. Despite the fact he hates grocery shopping with the cook, he has learned a few things from their joint outings; the man knows how to barter. So Zoro puts on a smile and manages to get a little discount, making the hole in his pocket just a bit smaller. 

"Now, where's the checkout?" Zoro mumbles under his breath. He really hates how much the market moves around. 

***

_“Are you even paying attention, brat?!”_

_Zoro rolls his eyes for the millionth time as he repositions the knife in his hand as Zeff has just shown him. "Yes,” then immediately remembers what Zeff had taught him in their first session, “Chef."_

_“How you manage to wield a sword is beyond me, broccoli head.” Zeff huffs but continues his demonstration._

_“It’s mosshead,” Zoro mutters under his breath, ignoring the comment about his profession. He pushes the thought of Sanji smiling to the front of his mind, reminding himself why he is being subject to this torture. He refocuses his gaze on the older man and pays close attention to how he cuts the meat._

***

Zoro feels like he is going to throw up.

He checks his watch. 45 minutes to go before Sanji arrives and he has never felt this nervous before- even with his history competing at multiple championship finals. 

At least he knew he stood a chance at winning those.

Why the fuck did he think he could pull off cooking a meal for a professional chef? Why the fuck did he think cooking for Sanji would be a good idea? 

He paces around his kitchen trying to control his breathing. That, at least, is something he can do. 

_Focus._

Zoro closes his eyes and spends the next few minutes taking deep breaths, letting his body move into a more relaxed state. He still needs to take a shower and get dressed before he can even delve into what he has spent the past few months practicing for, so he drags himself to his bathroom to do just that.

Once out, he carefully selects his outfit choice for the evening- a white, button shirt with the sleeves rolled and barely covering his chest, tucked into his pair of blue, distressed skinny jeans that Sanji loved way too much. He doesn't like wearing shoes in the house, but he has spent way too long with Sanji and the voice inside his head tells him the look won't be complete without them, so he pulls out a pair of black dress shoes that he wore to Franky and Robin's wedding and put them on. 

Zeff has also lent him a chef white shirt for when he cooks, claiming he won't allow Zoro to cook ill-prepared food. There was a glint in his eye when he told him this- at the time Zoro suspected foul play to make him look like even more of an idiot while cooking in front of a professional chef, but as he buttons up the shirt he begins to understand what that look meant.

He looks good. Very good.

Zoro puts his watch back on and sees he still has 20 minutes before Sanji arrives. He grabs a pack of tealight candles he bought at the market earlier and lights them around this kitchen, hoping the cook will appreciate his attempts with the romantic gesture. He feels more focused now and moves with confident ease, pulling all of the ingredients out onto his countertop, along with the portable teppan grill he ordered a month or so back. 

Time to get started.

***

_"First, you trim the fat off. You're gonna be using that instead of oil or butter. This dish purely focuses on the flavors from the beef, you got it?" Zeff looks up to make sure Zoro is paying attention._

_"Then, you gotta sear the steak, just warming and melting the fat within." Zeff places the tender piece of meat on the teppan grill, "It's a delicate process, ya hear me? The fat starts to melt at 26 degrees celsius, so better not touch it with your hands for too long."_

_Zoro nods, unable to tear his eyes away from Zeff's hands. He works with so much skill and precision, it's like watching a masterpiece of artwork being painted right in front of him._

_"Then you season with salt and pepper." Zeff grabs them from the side, "don't go too crazy, remember the beef is doing all the talking here," he sprinkles them both on, "a minute or two is all you need, but you need to make sure the rest time is double what you cook for, you got that brat?"_

_Zoro is bombarded by the tantalizing aromas of the beef as it cooks on the teppan grill. He closes his eyes and allows them to swarm his nostrils. A little bit of self-doubt starts to creep in, making him wonder how he'll ever manage to pull off something that smells so good._

_"Right, now it's your turn."_

_***_

The look on Sanji's face is priceless when Zoro opens the door. 

The cook stands there with his mouth hanging open, his cigarette dangerously close to falling out. He recognizes what Zoro is wearing but probably doesn't have the faintest idea of what's going on. 

"Y-You're wearing chef whites." The cook stammers. 

Zoro smirks, maybe this will be easier than he thought. A speechless cook is a rare occasion. 

"Hello to you too, cook."

Sanji blinks rapidly, snapping out of his daze. "Zoro…. What the fuck is going on?"

"Best if you come in." Sanji obliges, stubbing his cigarette out on the ground.

Zoro takes in Sanji's appearance when he closes the door behind him. The cook looks like sex on legs as always and it's really hard to not push him against his door and devour him there. He sports a dark maroon suit underneath his black peacock coat with a pair of black leather gloves. Zoro can't take his eyes off of his boyfriend as he shrugs off his coat and delicately takes his gloves off. 

"You surprised?" Zoro asks.

"Actually, yes." Sanji casts another look over Zoro's appearance that's more heated. It sends a chill down Zoro's spine and makes sure to note down his discovery of another one of the cook's kinks. 

This might go better than Zoro is anticipating.

He makes his way towards the kitchen, not needing to look back to know Sanji is following him. He stands behind the marbled counter and looks towards his boyfriend who is looking at the arrangement in front of him, his face unreadable. 

"Zoro…. What is all of this?" Sanji points to the teppan grill, the wagyu steak resting on the side that’s waiting to be cooked, and the already plated wasabi, salt, and toasted garlic as if he doesn't recognize any of them.

"I'm cooking you dinner," Zoro replies more confidently than he feels. 

He watches Sanji as his face goes through an array of emotions: confusion, shock, horror. But then there's that heated look again, and Zoro thinks he should have tried this sooner.

"What the fuck…." Sanji shakes his head and huffs out a laugh, "I have too many questions going around my head right now, oh my god. How is this even possible?" 

Zoro snorts, "I'm glad I've managed to stump you for once, cook." 

He turns around and grabs two wine glasses from his cabinet and grabs the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon he bought this morning, expertly pouring out two glasses and handing one over to his boyfriend. Sanji stares at it warily but takes it nonetheless.

"When? How even? You burn toast on the regular and don't even know what fucking al dente is."

"You're right, I only know what al dente is, what happens when there's fucking involved?" Zoro teases.

"Idiot." Sanji rolls his eyes, "Seriously though, I'm gonna watch my boyfriend, who hates gourmet food with a passion and refuses to dress up when I drag him to a fine dining experience, fucking cook right in front of me on a teppan grill?!" 

"Happy Valentine's Day, curly." That receives a blush across the other man's pale skin. 

Zoro looks down before continuing, unable to deal with the sudden softness he is feeling. When did he become a fucking sap? 

"I wanted to do this for you, Sanji. And I'm not gonna act like I'm not shitting my pants right now because I'm way out of my comfort zone here and this is the scariest thing I've ever done, and I've fought Mihawk _twice,_ but I wanted to do something nice for my hopelessly romantic excuse of a boyfriend on this extremely commercialized holiday." 

"Zoro…" He dares to look up at his boyfriend who is on the brink of tears from his speech because of course he is.

"Christ, I haven't even started cooking yet! I still have a chance to fuck it all up, cook."

"Yeah, you could fuck it up and poison me and I laugh at your efforts, but I'm still gonna finish every last bite."

Zoro rolls his eyes but looks down to hide the rising blush on his cheeks at the cook's soft smile. He feels like a fucking teenager all over again at how happy he can make the cook. This is totally not the cool demure he wanted when cooking so he quickly gets to work to fix that.

He turns the portable teppan grill on and lets it reach the suitable temperature before placing the pre-sliced piece of fat on the grill. He has done this so many times with different variations of steak over the past couple of months that it almost feels like clockwork. 

He lets Zeff's voice fill his mind and follows the instructions he has heard 50 or more times before. He places the first piece of wagyu onto the hot surface and focuses on the increasingly familiar sounds of the meat sizzling in front of him as it slowly sears the outer edge of the meat. 

He doesn't look up at Sanji, he would never dare at this point.

He takes a pinch of salt and pepper and seasons the meat, grabbing the metal spatula and knife afterward, counting in his head the seconds as he does so. Because if there's one thing Zoro can be, it's extremely detailed and precise in his work.

Zoro flips the meat over and the aromas of the wagyu disperse around them. He still can't bear to look at Sanji's face. He can see the cook drinking out of the corner of his eye. He knows it's his favorite so at least he hasn't gone wrong there. He repeats the process of seasoning aware he still needs to let it rest. Yet the beauty of teppanyaki is how quick and, dare he say it, simple the style is to cook. Even when watching Zeff the first time around, the man had made it seem so _easy_.

Zoro cuts into the meat delicately and takes it off of the grill to let it rest. He puts the other piece of wagyu, his piece, onto the grill, making sure to follow the same steps.

He can feel the cook's eyes on him, watching his every move under his calculated gaze. It's unnerving yet extremely thrilling at the same time. He's used to Sanji watching his every move when they spar, but this is different. This is Sanji studying him in a new light, sizing him up, and deciding what to make of Zoro's sudden new ability to cook. 

He flips the meat over and recognizes the sudden tightness in his jeans. 

Well, shit.

Zoro cuts the second steak just like before and leaves it on the side. He takes a staggered breath and looks at his watch. He's left the other steak resting long enough now so he plates it next to the prepared ingredients and finally, _finally,_ dares to look at the cook who is staring right back.

Sanji doesn't say a word but doesn't break his eye contact either as picks up his chopsticks and dabs a piece of steak into the salt provided and teasingly places it in his mouth. He chews methodically, the way he always does when he's trying a new recipe and doesn't want to give anything away on his face. 

Zoro's heart is hammering inside his chest.

Sanji swallows and licks his lips proactively, "It's good."

Zoro lets out the breath he is holding and snorts. "Just good?"

Sanji smirks at him as he picks up another piece and leans over, "Why don't you try it, chef?"

Zoro leans over and is reminded of his hardness as it hits the counter but tries not to expose himself to the cook, not after the amount of shit he has given his boyfriend for getting too into his cooking. God forbid he now understands why Sanji gets turned on when making Zoro his favorite dish. He lets the cook place the meat in his mouth and Zoro's eyes go wide.

As soon as the meat hits his tongue, his taste buds are singing. The steak melts like butter in his mouth and he feels pleased that it distinctly resembles the same feeling he got when he tried Zeff's teppanyaki steak all those months ago. The extra dab of salt works perfectly and makes the bite all the more euphoric. It's pure bliss.

"Fuck, it is good." Zoro chuckles, "Wow."

"Don't sound too surprised at your work, marimo." Sanji scoffs.

"As if you weren't praying I wasn't going to ruin your fucking perfect palate." Zoro retorts back.

"It is perfect and no," Sanji shook his head, "I knew I was in good hands."

Zoro frowns, "What do you mean?"

"I worked in the Baratie long enough to be able to recognize its uniform when I see it, mosshead," Sanji says as he points to his chest.

Zoro looks down and yeah, he should have realized the cook would figure out with his old work's logo right in front of his face.

"You really learned to cook for me, Zoro?" Sanji asks again softly. Zoro looks up again and he can see the wetness in his eyes but decides not to comment this time.

"Of course, you idiot. I wanted to impress you."

"Consider me _very_ impressed that you managed to stay in a room alone with my old man for longer than 5 minutes, let alone learn how to cook from him." Sanji snorts, then shakes his head, "God, how did I not even realize you sneaking off to go and cook with my father?! When did you even start this?"

Zoro rolls his eyes, "Don't worry, I'm not going back any time soon. And you give yourself too much credit, cook. You never pay enough attention when there's a woman around."

"Maybe you should make yourself more interesting to be noticed."

"You mean I should grow some tits and lose my dick?" Zoro raises his eyebrow.

Sanji rolls his eyes and continues to eat. Zoro follows and they complete the rest of the meal with talk of their day, taking sips of the wine too. He isn’t the biggest fan but it does compliment the steak well. Sanji complains about all the people that tried to get into his restaurant without booking during the day, ("What fucking moron leaves it up to chance on Valentine's Day? I feel so sorry for all the women in the world and the incompetence of shitty men." Sanji rants. "You mean like yourself?" Zoro can't help but reply) and Zoro complains about all the bruises he got from all the kicks he received learning under Zeff.

The steak turns out to be surprisingly filling with its richness. Zeff had insisted they wouldn’t need side dishes and Zoro is surprised at how he can recognize why now- it would have ruined the meal completely. The heat of the wasabi and the flavor of the garlic leaves Zoro’s lips tingling some time after they finish their meal and Sanji speaks up again as he uncharacteristically leaves the unwashed plates by the sink.

"So, is it time for dessert?"

  
  
  
  
  
  


Zoro's face pales.

  
  


Shit.

How the fuck did he forget about dessert?!

Zoro sighs, closing his eyes, and turns to the cook, "I'm so sorry I for-"

His sentence stops as Sanji's mouth fits perfectly against his own. He opens his eyes in shock, but closes his eyes again and kisses back into the familiar taste of those lips. 

_Oh. So that’s what he meant._

Sanji’s arms hook around his neck as he deepens the kiss, pushing Zoro against the counter. He is all but courteous to return the favor, sticking his tongue into the cook's mouth and smirking at the moan that comes from Sanji as he does so.

He feels the cook shift deliberately and recognizes his boyfriend's hardness pressing into his leg. 

Fuck.

"I really need to cook more often," Zoro murmurs in between kisses, running his hands through the cook's hair.

"I don't know if I could handle that, marimo," Sanji replies. He draws away and the heated look is back on his face again, "I could barely keep my hands off you when you opened the door in chef whites."

Sanji continues to kiss him, the need and want becoming more desperate as they continue and Zoro feels incredibly hard again. Sanji brushes his hand over his jeans and he lets out a gasp.

"So," Sanji moves to unbutton Zoro's jeans, and he realizes where this is going, "dessert?"

"Fuck, yeah."

Sanji drops onto his knees in one swift movement and Zoro feels all his blood rush to his groin. He lets out a shaky breath as the cook hastily pulls his jeans down and feels cold air hit when his pants follow. 

Sanji's hot mouth wraps around his dick and Zoro lets out a hiss. 

The cook looks up at him which does too many things to Zoro all at once. Sanji smirks then starts to move his oh so sinful mouth and Zoro has to grab Sanji's hair to stop himself from moving deeper into his boyfriend's throat.

"Fuck… Sanji…" Sanji groans and flicks his tongue along Zoro's shaft when he hears his name, sending vibrations down his body and earning a jolt in response. He is already so damn close thanks to the cooking fiasco and can feel the build-up in his lower abdomen. The cook continues to tease with his tongue, moving it with the perfect precision he knows will get Zoro to unwind faster.

He tightens his grip on Sanji's hair, closes his eyes, and leans his head back, whispering for his boyfriend to quicken the pace. He feels the cook's mouth twist into a smile and does exactly that. Pleasure runs through him at an alarming rate and when he looks down again, Sanji's eyes latch onto his and the cook moans again, sending shivers down his spine. 

Zoro can barely form a warning to his boyfriend before he feels his pressure erupt and sees stars. Sanji doesn’t even flinch, swallowing what he can muster, and pulls away to lick his chin for the stickiness that spills out of his mouth. 

Why had he never learned to cook before again?

“You’re going to be the death of me, cook,” Zoro murmurs, pulling Sanji to his feet.

Sanji gives his infamous shit-eating grin, “And to think I haven’t even given you your Valentine’s present yet, marimo.”

Zoro sucks in a breath, “We better go about fixing that then, hadn’t we?”

Sanji kisses him messily, “Yes, chef.”

Zoro doesn’t bother to pull up his jeans as he drags the cook towards his bedroom, extremely satisfied with what he has managed to pull off.

Maybe he’ll let the cook teach him more cooking after all if every meal is going to end up like this.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for the late Valentine's present but I hope the wait was worth it. 
> 
> Love From Your Sanji


End file.
